Let's Change The System
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In 2011, a string of bills were proposed in Congress to control the online data gathering industry. However, the bills were met with heavy opposition and failed to make any progress.
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In 2012, the Obama administration decided not to wait on legislation, and called on the commercial data industry to self-regulate.
We feel this self-regulation is not enough.
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First, it only includes a small amount of companies out of thousands out there collecting data on you.
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Second, the same behavior is still being implemented to track you online. Consumers are no more educated or even aware of the ability to opt out, and can only control their data for the few companies that participate.
We propose a change!
But who are we?
Track the Trackers is a capstone project created by three Winona State University Mass Communication students. The purpose of this project is to bring into focus the nearly invisible world of third-party tracking. Our goal is to educate consumers on the potential dangers in letting this data be collected, and to share information, techniques, and software to help consumers protect themselves online.
Our Petition
We have created a petition on the White House's petitioning website, We The People, that the President will have to respond to should we reach 100,000 signatures.
The petition states that websites should obtain explicit consumer consent before collecting information about them.
The European Union has already adopted law that does just this. Perhaps you've visited a site based in a country that is part of the EU. If so, you've likely seen a notification as soon as the website loads explaining what the website does with cookies and your data, often including with the option to opt in or opt out.
We at Track the Trackers want the same system in place in the United States.
Please sign our petition on We The People, and share it with your friends.
Together, we can make a difference!
Thank you for your support!
Track the Trackers capstone project team
Eric, Matthew, and Barto